I am a plastic surgeon in Little Rock, AR. I used to "suture for a living", I continue "to live to sew". These days most of my sewing is piecing quilts. I love the patterns and interplay of the fabric color. I would like to explore writing about medical/surgical topics as well as sewing/quilting topics. I will do my best to make sure both are represented accurately as I share with both colleagues and the general public.

Quilts of Valor

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Friday, May 2, 2008

There is a small community in Arkansas that sits on the Arkansas River named Toad Suck. It is near Conway. In 1982, Conway began holding a festival to raise money for scholarships to help local students further their education. Over the years the festival has raised over $500,000 for local students to attend Central Baptist College, Hendrix College, University of Arkansas Community College at Morrilton, and the University of Central Arkansas. CBC, Hendrix, and UCA are all colleges located in Conway, Arkansas. (photo credit) The festival is the first weekend of May (this year May 2-4th).

Well, The answer is quite simple...Long ago, steamboats traveled the Arkansas River when the water was at the right depth. When it wasn't, the captains and their crew tied up to wait where the Toad Suck Lock and Dam now spans the river. While they waited, they refreshed themselves at the local tavern there, to the dismay of the folks living nearby, who said: "They suck on the bottle 'til they swell up like toads." Hence, the name Toad Suck. The tavern is long gone, but the legend and fun live on at Toad Suck Daze.

Each year they sell T-shirts (photo credit), lots of food and craft vendors, and there are toad races. This year as in the past few years there has been some difficulty finding the toads (don't confuse them with frogs). The article below may help explain why the numbers are decreasing.

There is a nice article on Amphibians (frogs, salamanders, and others) slipping into oblivion in Defenders (a conservation magazine of Defenders of Wildlife). You can read it online here. The photo below is of a female marsupial frog and her offspring (credit) and is from the article. The article states that amphibians are the most threatened group of animals in the world.

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My purpose in writing my blog is to attempt to provide good solid medical information on topics of my choosing. It is a way to educate myself, my colleagues, and the general public. References will be provided on medical posts, but not on opinion essays or poetry posts. An additional purpose is to share my interest in quilting topics, a way to show my human side.

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